From ugly concrete blocks to street furniture: Anti-terror bollards to be replaced

The temporary concrete blocks that have been used across the city as anti-terror bollards will finally be replaced with permanent, reinforced street furniture to protect Melburnians from vehicle attacks.

The blocks which have dotted the city's landscape for almost a year will be replaced with planter boxes and metal seating when a rollout begins in July, with the bollards on Flinders Street and Bourke Street the first to go.

The state's counter-terrorism boss Assistant Commissioner Ross Guenther said Melbourne was a "very attractive target" to extremists, with police keeping a close eye on about 200 persons of interest.

Mr Guenther said more than 2500 terror-related reports were received and investigated in Victoria last year alone. He added that more than 100 Australians currently living in and near conflict zones were at risk of associating with IS supporters.

The new bollards will be a combination of planter boxes, flag poles, seating, and "other design solutions", a Melbourne City Council spokesman said.

"The measures are being designed in accordance with national and international security standards to provide high levels of protection while maintaining the amenity and use of our premier public spaces," he said.

"This represents the largest investment in Australia for protective measures against hostile vehicles."

The council installed 206 temporary bollards in 10 central Melbourne locations in July last year as an urgent anti-terror measure to prevent vehicles ploughing into pedestrians.

On Tuesday, Mr Guenther confirmed a family of amateur "jihadi hunters" in the UK had been in contact with an IS supporter who discussed bombing Queen Victoria Market, as well as Chadstone shopping centre.

The extremist, who is based in Pakistan, discussed planting a "sequence of bombs" in the market and then driving a car, fitted with another bomb, into a crowded area before blowing up the vehicle.

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"The information was ultimately shared with our law enforcement security parties who assessed that information and concluded it posed no credible threat to Victoria," Mr Guenther said.

Mr Guenther stressed that despite the reports, there was no current threats to any locations across Melbourne or Victoria.

“Such instructional material is not uncommon,” he said. “I stress though people should not be unnecessarily concerned.”

Lord mayor Sally Capp said police had increased their presence around Queen Victoria Market "just to give people confidence".

"But [police have] satisfied themselves and assured us that there is no current threat," she said.

UK newspaper The Sun reported in March that a "jihadi hunter" family living in the Midlands was using encrypted apps and social media to engage with fighters, and gather information about their activities.